Crystal River current., 1887-04-16

ces attending the execution were hor.
ribly revolving, as were also tho cir.
cumstances attending the crime. The
woman had murdered her old mother,
whom she considered burden on her.
She took every precaution to insure the
success of tho murder. She first satur.
ated the old woman's clothing with
oil, then set fire to her. and held heI
down with a long stick while the de-
crepit old creature was roasting to
death. The old woman cried piteous-
ly for mercy, but tho heartless daugh-
ter held her down till she was burned
to crisp. And then, to crown murder
with blasphemy, she placed lighted
candle before the statue of the Virgin,
as an act of thanksgiving. for the sue
cessful issue of the murder of her
mother. The inhabitants of the town,
Ramortin, in which the crime took
place were thrown into state of un-
mistakable excitement The authori-
ties had much difficulty to prevent the
people from mobbing the prison and
lynching the prisoner. A speedy trial
and trials in France are always speedy
alone satisfied the populace. The
woman was promptly condemned to
death.
The French. as is known. are re-
pungnant to the death sentence, and
French juries come in for much ridi-
cule, apropos of "extenuating circum-
stances.'' But, in this case, the trial
was over before other trials would have
been begun. Filial love in France is
one of the strong characteristics of the
peasantry, and any one who abuses a
parent is relentlessly tabooed from So
ciety.
In the present instance the repugn-
ance of the people in regard to the ex-
| ecution of woman was overcome by
the atrocity of the crime. and President
Grevy. who is opposed to capital pun
ishment on principle, and who sends
nine out of ten murderers to New Gale
donia instead of to NJ. Deibler's ma
chine, signed the death warrant with
| out question.
When the arrival of NJ. Deibler be-
came known to the people of the town.
the evening before the execution. there
was general rejoicing. The people re-
manned up ali night to witness the ex-
ecution in the morning. Most of them
were on the ground outside the prison
as early as midnight. When. about 5
o'clock in the morning, the tumbril or
cart appeared bearing the murderess to
the place of execution the assembled
multitude sent up joyous shout. The
distance FROM the Jail to the execution
ground was long, but the entire popu-
lace of the town followed the death
coretge. All along the way the people
| ,,L L,a o;o1
| ly, and pressed at times SO threaten
ingly around the vehicle that the gen.
darmes had to draw their weapons.
On arriving at the fatal spot dead
silence fell OH the multitude. The wo-
man was ordered to descend from the
vehicle, but she did not respond to the
summons. She had tainted. The off.
GERS removed her and carried her to the
guillotine. which was grimly standing
in the morning light. On her way she
recovered her senses and screamed and
resisted. She was promptly placed on
the fatal instrument, with her head
thrust through the bascule. Her
screams were drowned by the shouts Of
the assembled people. They crushed
around the instrument despite the eff.
forts of the gendarmes to keep them
back. Mothers held up their babies
and men held up their little boys at
arms length to let them witness the
execution of the murderess, that they
might remember the lesson for life.
NJ. Deibler. who is humane man.
as far as such may be said of an execu-
toner. did not prolong the scene. He
touched the "button" while :he culprit
was screaming and the assembled peo-
| ple shouting. The head dropped into
the basket; the body was thrown. with
the discovered head. into a wagon, and
hurried off to the cemetery. The at
tendants of M. Deibler washed the
blood from the flags and machine with
their sponges. and the immense crowd
returned home satisfied that justice had
been meted out to the unnatural daugh-
ter who had SO cruelty murdered her
aged mother. Iti seldom such ghas.-
" scene is witnessed in France.